Sludge spill closes Route 209 in Polk Township

Wednesday

Jul 23, 2008 at 12:01 AM

KRESGEVILLE — A near-collision on Route 209 sent about 100 gallons of dewatered sewage onto the road, diverting traffic for several hours. The sludge splashed out of an open-top tractor trailer that had to stop quickly to avoid hitting a car stopped to turn left off Route 209.

ADAM McNAUGHTON

KRESGEVILLE — A near-collision on Route 209 sent about 100 gallons of dewatered sewage onto the road, diverting traffic for several hours.

The sludge splashed out of an open-top tractor trailer that had to stop quickly to avoid hitting a car stopped to turn left off Route 209.

The sludge was non-hazardous, said Guy Miller, director of emergency services for Monroe County. Sludge is the leftover semisolid wastes filtered from municipal sewer systems. Miller did not know where the waste came from but did say it was from outside Pennsylvania.

Route 209 remained closed between HTY Road and Burger Hollow Road between about 2 and 7 p.m. on Tuesday after crews were called to clean the road.

Karen Conklin, of Saylorsburg, had stopped to turn left into Weld Services when she saw the truck driving south on Route 209 growing quickly in her rear view mirror.

"He couldn't stop," Conklin said. "He had to slam on the brakes and even then I quickly drove in here to get out of the way. If I hadn't looked in the mirror he would have hit me."

Sludge came pouring over the sides and front of the truck bed slowed, she said.

After cars drove through the waste, tracking the mess and smell down the road, State Police at Lehighton closed the road and diverted traffic with the help of Polk Township volunteer firefighters and PennDOT crews.

The road reopened shortly after 7 p.m. when crews safely cleared the road. Miller said the waste would be transported to its original destination in Ohio.